The Final Fantasy 14 Shadowbringers expansion continues, and patch 5.3 is upon us. Square Enix has unveiled the meaty new batch of content, updates, and goodies on the way to the fantasy MMORPG, and good news for fans of the first FF14 Nier: Automata raid – its crossover with the RPG games series continues in the next update. Let’s take a look at the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers patch 5.3 notes.

First up, the studio’s announced the update – titled Reflections in Crystal – “continues the Shadowbringers storyline and introduces the next chapter in the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse alliance raid series”. Plus, the base game’s core storyline which gives its name to the MMO, A Realm Reborn, ” will be streamlined in Patch 5.3, offering an improved experience for new players as they advance in the campaign toward expansion content.” Sweet!

Patch 5.3 will bring a bunch of brand-new scenario quests, marking the conclusion of Shadowbringers’ core questline, as well as a big update to the storyline itself. It’ll be “reworked to give new players a more streamlined experience as they progress to Heavensward and beyond”, and players will also get the chance to fly in A Realm Reborn’s areas after finishing the ‘Ultima Weapon’ quest, too.

About that Nier crossover – there’s a whole new YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Alliance raid to sink your teeth into, too. The new content – The Puppets Bunker – is a follow-up to FF14 patch 5.1’s The Copied Factory mission and, also inspired by Nier, “will unravel further mysteries of the machine lifeforms on the First”, according to the studio.

🏞 Updates to A Realm Reborn 🏜#FFXIV Patch 5.3 includes an updated, more streamlined version of A Realm Reborn's main scenario quests as well as the much-awaited introduction of flying in ARR maps! 🛩

There’s also a dungeon called The Heroes’ Gauntlet to tackle either solo or with pals – human or non-player, your choice – as well as a new eight-player trial (normal and extreme versions included), and a new story-driven Chronicles of a New Era quest titled The Sorrow of Welt. It fits into the Ruby Weapon series and has a “special event battle” at its conclusion.

It doesn’t stop there – update 5.3 also brings new Save the Queen questline, Ishgard Restoration, Beast Tribe, Game+, Crafter and Gatherer, PvE and PvP system updates, and new battle content, too.

The latter adds Unreal Trials, which “will feature one primal fight which will change with each patch, beginning with Shiva in Patch 5.3. Defeating the primal each week gives players the chance to complete a new mini-game, with those who emerge triumphant receiving tokens to exchange for prizes.” Phwoar. Excited?

There’s no Final Fantasy 14 patch 5.3 release date just yet, and while it was originally due to drop sometime in mid-June, the studio recently announced it could be delayed by up to a month due to measures in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Carrie cut her gaming teeth on the early Tomb Raiders and a lot of Worms 2, but has since developed slightly wider interests. An avid lover of cats, coffee, and Fable, she is desperately awaiting news of Fable 4.